Anatomical Study of the Artery and the Nerve of the Thyroid Gland

Rho, Young Soo; Kim, Jin Hwan; Kim, Hyun Ung; Koo, Young Ah; Song, Byung Chul; Lim, Hyun Joon

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: An awareness of the surgical anatomy and the possible dispositions of the superior, recurrent laryngeal nerve and the thyroid arteries are very helpful in avoiding injury during thyroidectomy.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The relationship of the superior and recurrent laryngeal nerve to the superior and inferior thyroid artery and the incidence of the thyroid ima artery were studied in 43 adult cadavers.
RESULTS
The superior thyroid artery (STA) arose commonly from the external carotid artery (59.3%). And the superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) was closely related to the STA. The inferior thyroid artery (ITA) arose commonly from the thyrocervical artery (81.4%) and eight different types of relationship between the ITA and the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) were found. Among them, the most common type was the RLN which passed in front of the ITA (39.5%). And the incidence of the thyroid ima artery was 9.3%.
CONCLUSION
The course and anatomic relationship of laryngeal nerve to the thyroid arteries is not constant, therefore careful identification of these structures should be performed during operation to decrease the surgical complications, such as vocal cord paralysis or hemorrhage.